Company Spotlight: Tern's Vision for the Travel Industry

Travel Trends - Tern - David Shull

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Booking travel shouldn’t mean entering the same client details over and over, chasing commissions months after a trip, or juggling multiple platforms just to book a hotel. In this Company Spotlight episode, Dan sits down with David Shull, CEO and co-founder of Tern, to explore how the company is simplifying the way travel advisors and host agencies run their businesses.

David shares the challenges that inspired Tern, including the behind-the-scenes administrative work that can take up 80 to 90% of an advisor’s day. From client management and itinerary planning to payments, compliance and commission tracking, Tern brings the tools advisors need into one platform. The goal is simple: less time spent on admin and more time building relationships, serving clients and growing their businesses.

One of the biggest announcements is the launch of Hotels by Tern, a new hotel booking platform taking aim at one of the travel industry’s most persistent headaches: getting advisors paid. With guaranteed commissions automatically reconciled and paid to agencies and host agencies within seven days of checkout, Tern is changing the way hotel bookings work, making the process faster, simpler and more financially predictable for travel advisors.

David also discusses how Tern handles payment processing, disputes and chargebacks, along with its approach to 24/7 hotel reservation support. We look at how the company is using AI to manage routine requests, support personalized email marketing and give advisors more time to focus on what matters most.

As technology continues to reshape the travel industry, this conversation offers a look at what happens when innovation is built around the people actually using it, and how removing everyday frustrations can help travel advisors build stronger, more profitable businesses.

Learn more at tern.travel.

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